This invention relates to the promotion of adhesion of an anodized aluminum surface to reaction injection molded material.
It is well known that anodized aluminum has an excellent resistance to oxidization. The anodized surface is a highly desireable surface, but the inability of that surface to stick to other materials makes it impractical to use anodized aluminum when bonding or otherwise adhering the aluminum to another material.
One process developed by Boeing allows plastic materials to adhere to aluminum structures, but that Boeing process starts with non-anodized aluminum and is a relatively expensive, multiple-step process. That process requires physically preparing a sheet, contacting the sheet with a vapor, rinsing the sheet, oven drying the sheet, and applying a primer coating. Once the aluminum material is primed, it still must be protected from the elements. Moreover, pieces must be individually treated.
The prior art holds many problems which are overcome by the present invention.